Where do I begin with this mess??? PICTURES INCLUDED!

Exxcalibur · 01/13/2016, 11:48 PM

Ok, yesterday I bought a 45gal tank setup on craigslist. The guy was super nice and gave me literally all of his equipment. I've got a skimmer, heaters, two pumps, a filter, 50lbs of live rock, IO salt, two saltwater keeping books, countless food items, nets, the tank base furniture, ect all for $75. Total steal IMO.

Plus, he left an inch of SW in the tank to keep the sand and rock live. What a guy!!
Keep in mind, everything is live within that inch of SW, but very nasty looking and slimy.

Now, the fun/hard part. WHERE ON EARTH DO I START?? Need some serious help guys. It's a mess..... Remember, I am a first timer so step-by-step instructions would be much appreciated!

Exxcalibur · 01/13/2016, 11:55 PM

Here are the pics:

spit.fire · 01/13/2016, 11:57 PM

id begin by chucking the sand, bleaching the rock and starting from dry

jsspallina · 01/14/2016, 12:33 AM

https://youtu.be/qrNSssUarA0

Isaac01 · 01/14/2016, 01:11 AM

ide second spit fire you have no idea what could be on that stuff... after you start cycling the rock after its dried out ide recommend using some carbon towards the end just in case the last owner used any kinda copper meds on that rock

BillNye · 01/14/2016, 01:12 AM

I agree with the above. A long time ago, I purchased an 'everything included' tank off CL (including "live sand and live rock") and ended up starting over because the guy had screwed everything up so bad.

I'd ditch sand and clean your rock so that nothing nasty transfers and makes it even more difficult to begin. I also think it's great to learn how to set it up from nothing for future tanks and overall knowledge of how things work.

Check out the stickies up top and browse through some threads to see what others are doing. I found that it's much easier to research and learn than to ask questions every step of the way.

Good luck!

Isaac01 · 01/14/2016, 01:12 AM

and ide chuck any rock that looks like its not from the ocean

Member No. 1 · 01/14/2016, 04:31 AM

You say he left water in the tank and everything is "alive". What exactly is still living?
I'm gonna guess and say the tank has been without heat for a while. So I'm sure there is die off. If you try to restart this you are heading for major problems.
Best thing to do is clean all the hardware, tank, etc..., bleach or "cook" (and I'm not talking about in the oven, search "cooking rock"), and start fresh.
Plus from your pictures, some of the rock appears to be what people use to aquascape a fresh water tank. These do not belong in a saltwater tank. Not because of the looks, because in a saltwater environment these rocks can leach unwanted nutrients, or be an issue with trying to keep your parameters straight.

bundybear1981 · 01/14/2016, 04:51 AM

I'm adding a vote to dump the sand and rock. I can see at least one rock that looks volcanic. Most the rock looks like it has algae issues so its likely to leech back in the water for some time to come. It might cost more but save you headaches down the track of fighting never ending algae.

Dkuhlmann · 01/14/2016, 04:54 AM

I agree bundybear, and if it is a volcanic rock it will have IRON in it. Never a good thing to have in a saltwater environment.

kmbyrnes · 01/14/2016, 05:48 AM

Welcome the hobby!
Another vote for start over. It will be less work and heartache in the future.

Sapelo · 01/14/2016, 05:54 AM

There's a Sticky at the top of this New To Hobby section called "SETTING UP: HOW TO" and I think that's where you are now.
If you are really trying to salvage anything "live" from this tank (and personally I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't) pull the rock and put it into clean saltwater with a circulation pump. Then clean the tank. Ditch the sand and buy new sand. Spend a lot of time cleaning. The cleaner you make things now, the easier it will be going forward.
You need test kits. You are going to need to cycle this tank from the beginning before you even think of adding livestock.
If you pulled the rock, ditch anything that is not designed for an aquarium (like that piece the guy found in his backyard, and that red and yellow piece of whatever it is) and start testing the fresh saltwater you moved the rock into. I'm betting you're going to find that it spikes ammonia, nitrates, nitrites like crazy in which case you've proven to yourself that you need to toss it.
You got a lot of equipment and that's awesome, but you did not jump start this process. Welcome to the addiction of saltwater! Go slowly, read a lot and ask a lot of questions. It's WAY easier to learn first and do it the right way than to try to correct problems further down the road. Good luck!

Shawn O · 01/14/2016, 08:01 AM

Before killing anything in there that might still be alive, consider putting the rock in a plastic bucket with some fresh SW and a heater. You'd be surprised what critters may still be in there. Pests are pests but you may score some porcelain crabs or small serpent or brittle stars,

davehead86 · 01/14/2016, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

Before killing anything in there that might still be alive, consider putting the rock in a plastic bucket with some fresh SW and a heater. You'd be surprised what critters may still be in there. Pests are pests but you may score some porcelain crabs or small serpent or brittle stars,

Excellent advice.

THEN NUKE THE TANK. Bleach the crap out of it then start over. Vinegar bath for all equipment.

joshbrookkate · 01/14/2016, 11:00 AM

I agree with above - start over. After checking the rock put in the heated pail of salt water. I found a blood shrimp and a porcelain crab, among other critters, that way. But then I got new rock and sand. Picked out some really nice pieces to aquascape the way I wanted.
Take it slow, doing your cycling as described in the New to the Hobby stickies. You will rnjoy things so much more. And gives you time to read up on the whole salt water system.
Have fun!
And I think you got an awesom deal!
Michelle

Exxcalibur · 01/14/2016, 11:42 AM

Wow. Bittersweet to see a consensus view on what I should do. Thank you all for your incredible advice! Love to see it is clear what I should do, but also sad as I thought I would be able to use the "live" sand and materials.....

I will keep you all posted on my progress. As of right now, I am going to take everything out, set aside the proper rock, bleach the rocks, let them dry out, throw out the sand (Hate saying that!), and lastly, clean the tank from top to bottom.

Is it safe to use bleach and white vinegar to clean the tank and equipment? That is what I have read to do.

Exxcalibur · 01/14/2016, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davehead86

Excellent advice.

THEN NUKE THE TANK. Bleach the crap out of it then start over. Vinegar bath for all equipment.

Thanks for the advice! Guess i'll stock up on vinegar and bleach. Other than salvaging some critters, is that the only benefit?

Exxcalibur · 01/14/2016, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

Before killing anything in there that might still be alive, consider putting the rock in a plastic bucket with some fresh SW and a heater. You'd be surprised what critters may still be in there. Pests are pests but you may score some porcelain crabs or small serpent or brittle stars,

Great advice thanks. I'd like to know that there is something I can salvage from the previous owner's living, albeit, disgusting ecosystem

shermanator · 01/14/2016, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exxcalibur

Thanks for the advice! Guess i'll stock up on vinegar and bleach. Other than salvaging some critters, is that the only benefit?

Maybe it goes without saying, but don't mix bleach and vinegar without a lot of washing in between.! Acid (vinegar) + bleach makes chlorine gas (deadly amounts are easy to make).

That said, I agree with the consensus. My personal route would be to acid bath (muriatic acid: HCl) the rocks (outside!) in a trash can. That will strip the layer of calcium phosphate that will leach into the water column over time (and looking at that mess of rocks, there is certainly a lot of absorbed phosphate in that rock). Bleach will kill everything, but so will acid... and bleach won't do anything to the phosphate bound in that rock's surfaces.

Exxcalibur · 01/14/2016, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shermanator

Maybe it goes without saying, but don't mix bleach and vinegar without a lot of washing in between.! Acid (vinegar) + bleach makes chlorine gas (deadly amounts are easy to make).

That said, I agree with the consensus. My personal route would be to acid bath (muriatic acid: HCl) the rocks (outside!) in a trash can. That will strip the layer of calcium phosphate that will leach into the water column over time (and looking at that mess of rocks, there is certainly a lot of absorbed phosphate in that rock). Bleach will kill everything, but so will acid... and bleach won't do anything to the phosphate bound in that rock's surfaces.

Thanks for the safety piece. Go chemistry.

I have some HCL on hand weirdly enough... Thanks!

davehead86 · 01/14/2016, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exxcalibur

Thanks for the safety piece. Go chemistry.

I have some HCL on hand weirdly enough... Thanks!

I would do bleach first since it has a lot of live crap on it. I did acid first on my CL live rock and it didnt take any rock off. Bleach will kill the organics and then acid will eat the rock if there isnt anything on it. This will also ensure that any phosphates and nitrates traped on the outside layers is dissolved away.

Exxcalibur · 01/19/2016, 08:12 PM

OK ALL! I have taken all your wonderful advice and have gone through a process of cleaning/setting up the new tank. I have included pictures about my process and what I have done step by step.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice!

JMorris271 · 01/20/2016, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exxcalibur

OK ALL! I have taken all your wonderful advice and have gone through a process of cleaning/setting up the new tank. I have included pictures about my process and what I have done step by step.

I can't see them

garyinco · 01/21/2016, 10:17 PM

A lot of the rock that was in there didn't look like something I would want in a reef tank. Glad you pitched it and started over.

dianapickles · 01/21/2016, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spit.fire

id begin by chucking the sand, bleaching the rock and starting from dry

+1

Give everything a good, thorough clean and start fresh. Goodluck !

01/13/2016, 11:48 PM	#1
Exxcalibur Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 16	Where do I begin with this mess??? PICTURES INCLUDED! Ok, yesterday I bought a 45gal tank setup on craigslist. The guy was super nice and gave me literally all of his equipment. I've got a skimmer, heaters, two pumps, a filter, 50lbs of live rock, IO salt, two saltwater keeping books, countless food items, nets, the tank base furniture, ect all for $75. Total steal IMO. Plus, he left an inch of SW in the tank to keep the sand and rock live. What a guy!! Keep in mind, everything is live within that inch of SW, but very nasty looking and slimy. Now, the fun/hard part. WHERE ON EARTH DO I START?? Need some serious help guys. It's a mess..... Remember, I am a first timer so step-by-step instructions would be much appreciated!

01/13/2016, 11:57 PM	#3
spit.fire Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 36	id begin by chucking the sand, bleaching the rock and starting from dry __________________ 75g build thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2535361

01/14/2016, 01:11 AM	#5
Isaac01 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 61	ide second spit fire you have no idea what could be on that stuff... after you start cycling the rock after its dried out ide recommend using some carbon towards the end just in case the last owner used any kinda copper meds on that rock __________________ HINDSIGHT IS 20/20.... err at least most of the time.

01/14/2016, 01:12 AM	#6
BillNye Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Socal Posts: 226	I agree with the above. A long time ago, I purchased an 'everything included' tank off CL (including "live sand and live rock") and ended up starting over because the guy had screwed everything up so bad. I'd ditch sand and clean your rock so that nothing nasty transfers and makes it even more difficult to begin. I also think it's great to learn how to set it up from nothing for future tanks and overall knowledge of how things work. Check out the stickies up top and browse through some threads to see what others are doing. I found that it's much easier to research and learn than to ask questions every step of the way. Good luck! __________________ Trust me - I'm a scientist. Current Tank Info: 125G

01/14/2016, 01:12 AM	#7
Isaac01 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 61	and ide chuck any rock that looks like its not from the ocean __________________ HINDSIGHT IS 20/20.... err at least most of the time.

01/14/2016, 12:33 AM	#4
jsspallina Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Staten Island, NY Posts: 58	https://youtu.be/qrNSssUarA0

01/14/2016, 04:31 AM	#8
Member No. 1 Ver. 2.1 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rehoboth, MA Posts: 1,803	You say he left water in the tank and everything is "alive". What exactly is still living? I'm gonna guess and say the tank has been without heat for a while. So I'm sure there is die off. If you try to restart this you are heading for major problems. Best thing to do is clean all the hardware, tank, etc..., bleach or "cook" (and I'm not talking about in the oven, search "cooking rock"), and start fresh. Plus from your pictures, some of the rock appears to be what people use to aquascape a fresh water tank. These do not belong in a saltwater tank. Not because of the looks, because in a saltwater environment these rocks can leach unwanted nutrients, or be an issue with trying to keep your parameters straight. __________________ Pete "I never make mistakes... I thought I did once, but I was wrong" Current Tank Info: In the process - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661614

01/14/2016, 04:51 AM	#9
bundybear1981 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia Posts: 685 Blog Entries: 1	I'm adding a vote to dump the sand and rock. I can see at least one rock that looks volcanic. Most the rock looks like it has algae issues so its likely to leech back in the water for some time to come. It might cost more but save you headaches down the track of fighting never ending algae. __________________ Tank inhabitants : 2x Clownfish, 1x Blue Koran, 1x Foxface Lo, 1xCoral Beauty, 1x Blue Tang, 1x Sailfin Tang Current Tank Info: New Build : 250g (6x3x2) with 2x RW15 pumps, 2x 2200lph return pumps, Tunze ATO, Jebao Dosing Pump, AquaOne G220 Skimmer

01/14/2016, 04:54 AM	#10
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	I agree bundybear, and if it is a volcanic rock it will have IRON in it. Never a good thing to have in a saltwater environment. __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

01/14/2016, 05:48 AM	#11
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	Welcome the hobby! Another vote for start over. It will be less work and heartache in the future. __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

01/14/2016, 05:54 AM	#12
Sapelo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: North Georgia Posts: 869	There's a Sticky at the top of this New To Hobby section called "SETTING UP: HOW TO" and I think that's where you are now. If you are really trying to salvage anything "live" from this tank (and personally I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't) pull the rock and put it into clean saltwater with a circulation pump. Then clean the tank. Ditch the sand and buy new sand. Spend a lot of time cleaning. The cleaner you make things now, the easier it will be going forward. You need test kits. You are going to need to cycle this tank from the beginning before you even think of adding livestock. If you pulled the rock, ditch anything that is not designed for an aquarium (like that piece the guy found in his backyard, and that red and yellow piece of whatever it is) and start testing the fresh saltwater you moved the rock into. I'm betting you're going to find that it spikes ammonia, nitrates, nitrites like crazy in which case you've proven to yourself that you need to toss it. You got a lot of equipment and that's awesome, but you did not jump start this process. Welcome to the addiction of saltwater! Go slowly, read a lot and ask a lot of questions. It's WAY easier to learn first and do it the right way than to try to correct problems further down the road. Good luck!

01/14/2016, 08:01 AM	#13
Shawn O Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts Posts: 1,474	Before killing anything in there that might still be alive, consider putting the rock in a plastic bucket with some fresh SW and a heater. You'd be surprised what critters may still be in there. Pests are pests but you may score some porcelain crabs or small serpent or brittle stars, __________________ "55gal glass box full of water, rocks and some not-so-amused little fishes" 2x Occellaris, 1 Pajama, 1 Neon Dottyback. Current Tank Info: 55gal tank, sumpless, ReefOctopus Classic 90, Twin bulb T5.

01/14/2016, 11:00 AM	#15
joshbrookkate Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Windsor, ON Posts: 618	I agree with above - start over. After checking the rock put in the heated pail of salt water. I found a blood shrimp and a porcelain crab, among other critters, that way. But then I got new rock and sand. Picked out some really nice pieces to aquascape the way I wanted. Take it slow, doing your cycling as described in the New to the Hobby stickies. You will rnjoy things so much more. And gives you time to read up on the whole salt water system. Have fun! And I think you got an awesom deal! Michelle

01/14/2016, 11:42 AM	#16
Exxcalibur Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 16	Wow. Bittersweet to see a consensus view on what I should do. Thank you all for your incredible advice! Love to see it is clear what I should do, but also sad as I thought I would be able to use the "live" sand and materials..... I will keep you all posted on my progress. As of right now, I am going to take everything out, set aside the proper rock, bleach the rocks, let them dry out, throw out the sand (Hate saying that!), and lastly, clean the tank from top to bottom. Is it safe to use bleach and white vinegar to clean the tank and equipment? That is what I have read to do.

01/19/2016, 08:12 PM	#22
Exxcalibur Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 16	OK ALL! I have taken all your wonderful advice and have gone through a process of cleaning/setting up the new tank. I have included pictures about my process and what I have done step by step. Thanks to everyone for the great advice!

01/21/2016, 10:17 PM	#24
garyinco Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 431	A lot of the rock that was in there didn't look like something I would want in a reef tank. Glad you pitched it and started over.